Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Reportedly to Partner With Google

Tech Company to Get Automaker Experience, FCA to Get Autonomous Tech

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles may have finally found a partner, and it’s not what you might think. The company’s CEO, Sergio Marchionne, had previously said his firm would like to partner with an automotive giant like Volkswagen or General Motors, but in recent months, he seems to have backed off that plan.

Last month, Marchionne announced he was open to partnerships with technology companies as well, and the first to take up his call is Alphabet, Google’s parent company. If reports in Bloomberg are to be believed, Google and Fiat Chrysler may partner to bring the former’s autonomous-driving tech to the latter’s vehicles.

Motor Trend reports the first vehicle to receive Google’s wares could be the upcoming Pacifica minivan and its as-yet-unconfirmed crossover SUV sibling. According to Bloomberg, talks between the two companies began in 2013, shortly after Google began its exploration into the world of autonomous motoring. According to Bloomberg, such a deal would be mutually beneficial to the companies, saving Chrysler the cost of developing autonomous technology and Google the cost of building factories for its vehicles.

Does that mean we’ll be riding in an autonomous Jeep Wrangler at the 2020 Easter Jeep Safari? At this point, anything’s possible.